Comparison

ScanDim vs Point Cloud & BIM Viewer

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

ScanDim

Features
Read full description

ScanDim transforms your iPhone into a professional 3D measurement tool. Using advanced AI-powered photogrammetry, capture precise dimensions of any object with just a few photos. Key Features: AI Photogrammetry: Take 12 photos around an object, and our AI analyzes the geometry to calculate accurate dimensions Interactive 3D Viewer: Visualize your scans as point clouds with smooth rotation and zoom controls Precise Measurements: Get length, width, height, volume, and surface area calculations Multiple Export Formats: Export your 3D data as PLY or OBJ files for use in other applications Measurement History: Save and organize all your scans for easy reference Dark Mode Design: Beautiful dark interface optimized for extended use Perfect for: Interior designers measuring furniture and spaces Online sellers documenting product dimensions DIY enthusiasts planning projects Architects and engineers doing quick field measurements Anyone who needs accurate object measurements How it works: Open the camera and start a photogrammetry session Walk around the object taking photos at 30-degree intervals Our AI processes your photos and generates a 3D point cloud View measurements, rotate the 3D model, and export your data No LiDAR required - ScanDim works on all iPhones using advanced AI vision technology.

About

Point Cloud & BIM Viewer

Visualize and analyze 3D scans and BIM models directly on your device. Measure distances, compare designs to reality, and create floor plans from scans. All data remains local for enhanced privacy.

Highlights
  • Open E57, LAS, PLY, IFC, USDZ, OBJ, STL, glTF, GLB formats
  • Compare scan data against BIM models
  • Measure distances and dimensions
  • Generate floor plans from scans
  • View projects in Augmented Reality
  • Georeference projects on a map
  • Browse and analyze BIM model elements
Features
Read full description

Point Cloud & BIM Viewer opens laser scans and BIM models on your Mac, iPad and iPhone — measure them, cut sections, see where the building differs from the design, and export the results. Everything stays on the device: no account, no upload. A sample project with a guide shows where everything is. FORMATS • E57 with registered scan setups, colour, intensity and spherical photographs • LAS and LAZ 1.0 to 1.4 with colour, intensity and classification, and COPC • PLY, PTS, PTX, and XYZ or TXT with intensity or RGB columns • IFC models, also zipped or gzipped; USDZ, USD, OBJ, STL, glTF and GLB • DXF plans under the scan, with layers to switch off • Several files, a folder or a zip as one project Import never modifies the original; a hundred million points take tens of megabytes. EVERYTHING IN ONE PROJECT The side panel lists the cloud and each of its scans, every model file, floor plan and saved cut. Show, hide, colour or look at each on its own; colour the scan setups to check the registration. Add scans later, send a project by AirDrop. THE SCAN AGAINST THE MODEL • Every point coloured by its distance to the model, with a tolerance you set • Which elements are built, which are missing, and where the scan never went • The elements built out of tolerance, listed • Place a model by pairs of corners, by the walls in the scan, by matching the floor plans, or where its georeference says • Measure from the scan to a surface of the model SCAN WITH LIDAR On an iPhone or iPad with LiDAR, scan a room into a project, fit it to the other scans, and continue later. For orientation, not millimetres. FLOOR PLAN RoomPlan draws the walls, doors and windows as you scan and divides the floor into rooms with their areas; walls found in any scan make a draft. Correct the plan, then export IFC, DXF, SVG or a PDF to scale. THE PROJECT IN AR On iPhone and iPad, stand the project on a table, or at 1:1 in the building by a few shared points, with a scan's panorama over the walls. ON THE MAP Coordinates as a surveyor writes them: S-JTSK Y and X, or E and N in the system the file or IFC georeference names. See the project on a map with an aerial view under the scan, or place it by hand; exports keep its place. The map loads from Apple Maps only when switched on. THE MODEL Browse elements by storey, class or file; find them by name, GlobalId or property. Select, colour and group them, and read every property, inherited ones too. Check a model against IDS: what fails is listed, and each failure can become a note. On an IFC 4.3 alignment, read station and offset, with cross and long sections. MEASURE • Distance with horizontal and vertical parts, and height • Face to face: wall thickness, clear width, clear height • The shortest distance between two elements, or from an element to the scan • A model's edge length and planar area; polylines, angles and best-fit areas • Notes anchored to a point or an element • Every pick is checked against the cloud at full resolution • Metric or imperial units SECTIONS AND ROOMS A box you move, turn and reshape by dragging, a plane or a slice. The model's solids are hatched where a cut crosses them. Save a cut with its view and return to it. SEEING THE SCAN RGB, intensity, classification, a heatmap, or elevation over the scan or a band of a few centimetres; a grid, side views, panoramas from the scanner's position. ISSUES IN BCF Notes leave as BCF topics with a viewpoint and the element they are on; BCF files from other tools open as notes. EXPORT The cloud or a single scan as E57 with panoramas, LAS, PLY or XYZ; a section as LAS; CSV, JSON with sections, BCF, a PNG snapshot. FREE AND PRO Free with one project; Pro removes the limit for a single payment, no subscription. Projects you have stay open either way. WHAT IT DOES NOT DO Point data is not edited, and tripod scans are registered in the scanner's software. Clouds in two coordinate systems are not brought into one. Models you open are never modified.

Screenshots

ScanDim3 screens
Point Cloud & BIM Viewer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ScanDim at none against Point Cloud & BIM Viewer's 1. ScanDim also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Point Cloud & BIM Viewer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. ScanDim asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
ScanDim versus Point Cloud & BIM Viewer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScanDimPoint Cloud & BIM Viewer
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequency—Every 3 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB44 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFrederic Arnaud-MeyerSew Grader by Virtalia

In-app purchases

None

ScanDim

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Point Cloud & BIM Viewer

One-time1
  • Pointclouds Viewer Pro$9.99

Questions

Is ScanDim free?
ScanDim is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Point Cloud & BIM Viewer free?
Point Cloud & BIM Viewer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ScanDim or Point Cloud & BIM Viewer have ads?
Neither ScanDim nor Point Cloud & BIM Viewer shows ads.

Other comparisons